A federal appeals court has reinstated the lawsuit of a disabled California woman who is accusing an airline of refusing to provide her a wheelchair in several airports, rejecting the airline's argument that such complaints must be addressed to government regulators.

Michelle Gilstrap of Los Angeles, who suffers from osteoarthritis, a collapsed disk in her back and painful conditions in her knees, said United Airlines denied her requests for wheelchairs at terminals during two cross-country flights in 2008 and 2009.

She said airline employees yelled at her, questioned her need for a wheelchair, twice told her to stand in line and - when she was unable to do so - canceled her reservation on one flight and put her on a later flight.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Nguyen dismissed Gilstrap's damage suit, citing a 2003 federal law, the Air Carrier Access Act, which requires airlines to assist disabled passengers but does not expressly allow them to sue for violations.

But on Tuesday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said an airline that violates the federal standards might be found negligent under state law, for failing to treat the passenger with reasonable care.

That could allow Gilstrap to seek damages for pain and emotional distress, said Judge Marsha Berzon in a 3-0 ruling. The court told Nguyen to take another look at the suit and decide whether it qualifies as a negligence claim under California law.

The ruling is "a great victory for disabled airline passengers," said Gilstrap's lawyer, Mark Meuser.

United Airlines issued a statement saying it is "strongly committed to providing equal treatment and quality service to our disabled customers."